Quite a few alumni of WSA were feeling directionless. There were some students who had no idea about what to do next or what kind of jobs they wanted. There were plenty who were wanting to go to college, with the PET house at UNLV being the most welcoming option. And with the pandemic going on, that limited ability to go to other places, even if they were going to opening once semesters started.
Marcy White was also feeling a bit rudderless. Though she had plenty to keep her occupied, such as spending time with Chilly or her adopted sister, Polly. Polly had been a bit worried about all the sick people in Texas where her brother lived. Though Marcy assured her that unlike a lot of Texas, Dinosaur City had been vigilant with its quarantine rules. Hopefully, the rest of the state will get its act together after the spike in Covid-19 cases from its rushed reopening.
But now that she has graduated, Marcy needs to think about her future. Being a double-dosed polar bear had gotten her through her high school years smoothly, but what about the rest of her life? She did have at least one idea. Like a lot of kids, she wanted to be an astronaut when she grew up. Though most kids don't think about the vigorous study and training involved. Marcy was quite aware, but felt like she was up to the challenge. She had a bit of a dream of being the first Animalian in space. Though things have changed a lot since she was a kid, which admittedly wasn't as long ago. But nowadays, the aerospace industry wasn't solely focused on NASA. There were other private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin that were working on ways to make orbital travel more commercially available, even if it was for the very wealthy at this point. It certainly opened up a wider range of options for Marcy to fulfill her dreams.
But even if there were different ways to become an astronaut, that didn't mean one of these companies would just hire her for her higher-than-average intelligence. Her polar bear body would require a more customized spacesuit, but at least she didn't have a long tail or anything to get in the way. But even doing groundwork at one of these companies would demand a lot of experience. Getting the right kind of experience might not seem a feasible thing, but Marcy had a good idea of where to start.
==========
Professor Nova was one of Animalia's newest residents and was quickly becoming one of the more eccentric ones. She had undergone conversion to treat her paranoid delusions and the jury was still out whether or not it worked. But she still had a degree in astrophysics and Marcy thought she could help her get a leg up in a career of aerospace engineering.
Marcy approached the small house where Nova was living in. Not surprisingly, there were a lot of 'Keep Out' signs. Marcy was glad she was able to call the professor and ask for an interview. She wondered if there were any traps hidden in the front yard. That seemed within Nova's known character. Checking her watch, she was here at precisely noon. Hoping she knew what she was getting into, she knocked on the door.
There was the sound of several locks turning before the door opened. Nova had chosen a mongoose as her Animalian form, an Indian grey mongoose to be precise, though some people may think she was a weasel or ferret. She had hair that was somewhere between brown and blonde up in a messy bun. She was wearing a lab coat, but Marcy didn't have time to see what else before Nova started prodding her over. "Have you been followed?" she asked, "Is anyone watching."
"Who would want to watch?" asked Marcy.
"You can never be too careful," said Nova, "Well, you appear clean, come inside." Marcy walked into the house. She was expecting it to be messy, but it was actually pretty clean...it also looked unused. "Should have dusted earlier, but I've just been so busy," said Nova, "Come to the basement. Carefully. I don't know if the steps could hold you." Once downstairs, Marcy could see the basement was another story altogether. There were quite a few computers and chalkboards, along with a small area that had a mattress.
"So...you work down here?" asked Marcy, "On what?"
"My hobby, mostly," said Nova, sitting down at one of the computers.
"That being?" asked Marcy.
"Alien conspiracies, what else?" said Nova blithely.
"I thought you were into government conspiracies," said Marcy.
"Those are a dime a dozen," said Nova dismissively, "In a universe as infinitely vast as ours, our planet can't have been the only one to develop life, let alone sentient life. And I'm sure they've been involved with Earth's development. Most likely with the Animalian virus."
"Pardon?" asked Marcy.
"You think a so-called virus like this 'just happened' to be created by 'pure accident'? Oh, the Horizon Labs staff think they know how it happened, but they didn't know they were being used. It's clear that aliens introduced their work so to expand the variety of sentient species on this planet. The healing factor would assure an extended lifespan, which would also account for the de-aging effect," said Nova.
"And what about the aging effect?" asked Marcy, this being of particular importance to her considering she was chronologically younger than she looked.
"To make sure all subjects are in proper breeding age, of course," said Nova, "That would also explain the increased libidos. Doesn't it make perfect sense?"
Marcy gave her a flat look and said, "Ever heard of apophemia?"
"Apophemia, noun; a tendency to see connections where none exists," said Nova, "Did you come here just to make fun of my work?"
"Well, I was curious about a few things," said Marcy, "Like if you were treating your paranoia, why not choose an animal with brainpower like an elephant, dolphin, or raven?"
"Reflexes," said Nova, "You never when something might happen. The enhanced flexibility is quite valuable. And I think I've improved my looks." She displayed a picture of a rather frumpy-looking woman on one of her computers, the messy brown/blonde hair being a match for Nova's.
"I'm sure if your treatment worked," said Marcy.
"It has," said Nova, "Before, I was completely consumed with finding connections. Now it's just a hobby. There's not as much you can do with an astrophysics degree as you might think."
"Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," said Marcy, "You see, I want to be an astronaut and I was wondering if I could start with being like your intern or lab assistant."
"Does it look like I need one?" asked Nova.
"It looks like you need a housekeeper," said Marcy.
"Hmm...good point. I suppose I could use a gofer, but I'm wondering if a gopher Animalian would be a better choice," said Nova.
"I think that's animal stereotyping," said Marcy.
"And I suppose you don't enjoy a cold bottle of Coca-Cola," said Nova.
"I'll have you know, I have a beneficial arrangement with Coca-Cola's advertising department. Which means I get paid enough that I can work for you for free," said Marcy.
"Free? Hmm...well, how can I resist. I suppose I can let you study under my wing," said Nova before standing up and extending a hand, "Welcome to my world."
Marcy took her hand, but she noticed that Nova was just wearing a bra and panties under her lab coat, which showed how much she's improved over her frumpy appearance before. "Uh, do you normally dress like this?" asked Marcy.
"Oh it just gets so beastly hot," said Nova, "I'm sure you know what that's like."
"You have no idea," said Marcy.